Audionet VIP G3

Characteristics

The Universal Virtuoso

The VIP G3 is the high performance playing device for CD-, DVD-Video- and DVD-Audio as well as SACD-formats. The VIP G3 sets remarkable new standards, even and especially for audiophiles who had lately become less impressed by anything digital.

The VIP G3 virtually breathes very amazing new life into music and movies you thought you’d know by heart – until this point. We’ve even heard word of vinyl junkies emphatically retaking anything they ever said about CDs. Which is no small feat to accomplish, you’ll agree.

Absolute Genius

Audionet’s mother of sources for any ultra high-end stereo combo plays a quite convincing role in a multichannel environment, too. The VIP G3 offers pleasant handling and comfortable features. The ergonomically designed Audionet system remote control, Harmony One, guarantees ease of use.

Discs of all formats are loaded into the 18 kg machine with ease. Above all, the VIP G3 is also a D/A-converter. Its qualities can therefore be used for all digital sources – even for computers connected via a USB audio interface.

Our engineers improved both the cabinet and the circuit topology, turning every detail of the machine upside down. VIP G3 combines groundbreaking engineering and state-of-the-art scientific expertise with the most up-to-date pre- and power amplifier generation. Its authentic musical reproduction and the cinema-like images give you movies and music of breathtaking depth, contour and naturalness.

To prevent any self-produced disturbance, the ventilation concept requires no fan. The adaptive stabilizer (“puck”) made of POM, a Teflon-like material, fixes every disc firmly. The combination of a reduced contact surface and a stronger magnet increases contact pressure. The lower angular momentum of the new puck ensures a stable and smooth disc run.

Cream of the Crop

The efficiency and precision of the VIP G3 is such that even the sound properties of its own components and materials are clearly audible. For this reason, every sound-critical point on the VIP G3 is fitted exclusively with the finest stuff in the world, lots of which is custom-made for Audionet. At the power input a high audiograde fuse made of rhodium and pure copper passes the electricity over pure silver conductors to two separate mains supply circuits for the digital and analogue section.

The use of newly developed CLC-smoothing minimises sound-impairing mains interference producing a totally silent and authentic sound stage. Generously dimensioned line filters and push-pull core coils further improve the mid-range and bass reproduction of the VIP G3.

The newly developed Audionet OP-Amps are fitted with specially selected high-current foil capacitors with a minimal loss angle, increasing the capacity of the mice capacitors. The drivers stage now operates internally with a threefold push-pull and an even further increased current driver capacity.

Stereo- and Multi-Channel Reference

In a feat of high performance engineering the VIP G3 reduces jitter to a virtually unmeasurable minimum. Just one example: our engineers have reduced the jitter of the DACs to an impressive 60 picoseconds sigma eff.! The swinging mounting of the DAC high-precision clock-pulse generator deflects vibrations impairing sound. Another specialized high-precision clock-pulse generator is used in SACD reproduction to synchronize the music data perfectly and to avoid jitter. No music data is lost and all data is processed at the right time, thus guaranteeing exceptionally spacious, detailed and authentic music reproduction.

Our digital audio transmission is also unique. DSD is first converted into PCM data, then processed and decoupled by Audionet Intelligent Sampling technology for subsequent routing to a powerful output transmitter via a low-jitter LVDS data link which is non-sensitive to interference. Audionet’s proprietary HighBit interface permits transmission of all two-channel data up to 192 kHz or multi-channel data with up to 96 kHz per channel. The LowBit mode provides data rates of up to 96 kHz/24 bits. Thus, either mode provides optimum PCM output data – irrespective of the initial data format, and especially for SACD, both two- and multi-channel.

Additionally the surround-channels can be electronically switched off so that the entire mains supply circuit capacity is available for use on the two main-channels only.

Visionary

In order to ensure the best possible image quality, the VIP G3 is equipped with six 14bit/108 MHz D/A converters for analogue video processing. In conjunction with the unique Audionet Class-A video output stages, capacitors in the video output signal flow are eliminated to achieve an extremely high-quality and stable video bandwidth. In addition to CVBS and S-video outputs, the video output section further includes RGB and component (YUV) outputs, optionally in progressive-scan or interlaced format.

Using the HDMI interface also makes it compatible for DVI with HDCP or the component output, as digital image data is transferred either scaled at 720 progressive, 1080 interlaced or at maximum DVD resolution in PAL 576 progressive format.

Press comments on VIP G3

av-magazin.de:

“[…] The VIP G3 playing experience represents the final statement for the reproduction of CD, SACD, DVD audio and DVDs. Not only because there will probably never be any VIPs again. Working together with a high-performance external scaler and their in-house produced MAP, the VIP G3 elicits a picture and tone from the ‘good old’ DVD which makes entirely clear that this disc will be playable for a good any years to come. This is just as applicable for music discs: the VIP G3 plays in a league of its own.”

i-fidelity.net

“The Audionet VIP G3 is a magical source. Why? It’s inimitable method of bringing music to life across two channels, whether from a CD or SACD; the cheeky effortlessness which it retains even when playing complex musical structures; its boundless power in the lower octaves which never gets out of control; or its sensational spatial
depiction, all of which catapult this universal player to the top position. […] The reference at i-fidelity.net for multiplayers is called the Audionet VIP G3.”

Press comments on the predecessor VIP

Image HiFi Germany

Remarkable was the fluidity of the reproduced music, the complete absence of tiring analysis and an exceptional dynamic – and this over the whole spectrum range. I unwillingly must admit: The comparison with my beloved high-musical Meridian is clearly won by the Audionet already after some seconds of playing because of its by far better spreading of the musical event and even tonal advantages.

image x-tract
“A very exquisite digital delicacy – this is certain. Universal players mostly have the reputation of being compromise solutions, that for the benefit of universality have to cope with trade-offs here and there. But not the VIP, what we translate from now on as ‘Very Important Player’.”

Stereo Germany

together with MAP:
With respect: The best DVD audio player STEREO ever had. With comfortable distance. Yet in CD mode the VIP roughs up the competition and the reference CD player ART V2. In DVD audio mode it even sets the standard, no matter if two-channel or six-channel.

Probably the best DVD audio player on the market at present.

Performance level: 100%

Heimkino Germany

Audionet managed it to drop completely into the digital age of DVD and faced the high complexity as challenge. And the team passed with flying colours and worked out a big head start compared to all competitors.
Audionet focused on the outstanding reproduction of the audio-visual signals from the controller. These can have a wide range of sampling frequencies and bit widths. On the other hand, the converters from Wolfson should always be fed with the finest, purest signals. Between transport unit and the DACs lies the secret of the VIP-success, that is to say an asynchronous upsampling of the music bits and a nanosecond-precise reconstruction of the clock signal. This eliminates jitter completely. By this even older tones of a CD (16 bits/44.1 kHz) always become high-precision music with the capacity of DVD-Audio (24 bits/192 kHz).

The four additional channels for multichannel music are supplied conventionally, but on highest level. Of course all plug variants, including a professional, potential-free AES/EBU interface, are present. However, really sensational is a special Audionet version of the Firewire connection, that can transfer even the data of a DVD-Audio in perfect digital quality to the Audionet processor MAP.
It is nearly redundant to mention that the VIP is supplied by several independent, high-stable and extremely clean voltages. In conjunction with low-noise, DC-coupled and very strong drivers all electrical measurements are far beyond good and bad, close to the limit of what can be physically detected.

The digital pixel streams…are provided with 54 MHz and 12 bits… The special trick of the output section is the real DC-coupling. Within the VIP no phase-shifting capacitor lies in the signal path, that would sabotage the output impedance. The result is extreme precision of the pictures. Noise is absent, and especially the colour separation is phenomenal.

The question among the technical writers was, what should be viewed or heard next. High-resolution DVD audio via two channels convinces with pleasant high energy.
If Pat Metheneys „Imaginary Days“ or the „Hotel California“ from The Eagles: So much transparence, plasticity and punch is overwhelming. Determining for the fun factor is the precision, with which the miracle from Bochum deals almost patronising. When playing the DVD audio from Fourplay every finest vibration of the cymbals is audible. … If the VIP plays DVD videos, the picture is characterised by clear, high-contrast structures. The acoustical scenery offers high resolution, e.g. when the bullet casings fall in “Matrix”…

Conclusion:
Audionet made it! At first go the DVD player VIP enters the HEIMKINO reference class. The VIP satisfies three basic desires: Firstly it is an excellent DVD video player, secondly a powerful and dynamic DVD audio player and thirdly – almost unbelievable – a phenomenal CD player.